Support Groups Rally Behind Yilwatda, Faults Call For His Resignation

Two groups, APC Great Family Group, and the Northern Nigeria Youth Leaders Forum (NNYLF), have condemned a two-week ultimatum issued to the party’s national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, calling for his resignation or face mass protests across the country.

A support group within the All Progressive Congress, the ‘APC Great Family Group,’ has condemned the two-week ultimatum issued to the party’s national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, calling for his resignation or face mass protests across the country.

The ultimatum was issued by the APC Youth Solidarity Network (APC-YSN), which accused Yilwatda of poor leadership and presiding over the party’s decline.

However, in a press statement, the APC Great Family Group described the ultimatum as uncalled for, uncouth, and lacking merit.

The group’s convener, Habu Ali, stated that the youth faction likely feels intimidated by Yilwatda’s growing influence.

The group also noted that Yilwatda has been working tirelessly to attract new members to the party, while the national secretary has been effectively managing the party’s affairs in his absence.

“Does the national chairman’s leadership style not demonstrate the true tenets of democracy by delegating responsibilities to the secretary when he is unavailable?

“The issue in Plateau State should not be used to generalise the party’s overall affairs. Is the youth faction intimidated by new entrants into the party or by the national chairman’s rising profile?” the group queried.

They urged the youth faction to support Yilwatda and allow him time to lead the party effectively.

The APC support group further stated that Yilwatda has been touring various states, including Katsina, Kaduna, Enugu, Plateau, and Owerri, and is scheduled to visit Bayelsa and Taraba soon, as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s structure nationwide.

They further appealed to the youth faction to support Yilwatda rather than suffocate him with selfish, personal interests.

“We are surprised that Yilwatda, who has been in office for less than three months, is being accused of neglecting APC staff, especially junior employees.

“The APC Youth Solidarity Network (APC-YSN), and whoever is behind them, should join the national chairman in building our party.

“We must give our new national chairman the time to lead and not distract him with personal grievances. “Our national chairman has fully aligned himself with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President. We should not derail his focus,” the group added.

On his part, the national leader of the Northern Nigeria Youth Leaders Forum (NNYLF),  Comrade Murtala Mohammed-Gamji, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that Momoh is first of all, not a member of APC, hence he cannot lead a campaign against the party’s national chairman.

Gamji warned the “so-called” APC-YSN and other faceless against any attempt to tarnish the hard earned reputations of the APC national chairman and other northern leaders as the forum would resist such attempt.

He dismissed claims by the group that Nentawe who is also from Plateau state was blocking Governor Caleb Mutfwang from joining the party, saying the governor himself had said he was under pressure to move to the ruling party.

“Any group or individual who is calling on our national chairman to resign or they will embark on protest, first of all, Prince Momoh is not a member of APC. We schooled together in ABU Zaria, he’s from Auchi. He’s a member of PDP and they have even sanctioned him in Auchi’s PDP membership in Edo state. So we don’t know his link or his concern with our untouchable chairman.

“This is a leader who has just come into this party look at the calibre of people that are trooping into this party. So, somebody who is not a member of APC, has never been a member of APC, we don’t know his reason or his concern about our noble chairman. But we knew that there are people behind him.”